1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece having a function of receiving a satellite signal transmitted from a position information satellite and a time measurement function and to a method for controlling the electronic timepiece.
2. Related Art
Among electronic timepieces of related art that receive a satellite signal transmitted from a GPS (global positioning system) to acquire time information and perform timekeeping in accordance with the acquired time information, some of the electronic timepieces have a chronograph function of measuring time (see JP-A-2010-96523, for example).
The GPS-based wristwatch described in JP-A-2010-96523 initiates reception of a satellite signal in a timing mode or a positioning mode in response to manual operation or automatically at predetermined timing. The wristwatch has not only a time display function using an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand but also a stopwatch function (chronograph function) of measuring elapsed time by using a 12-hour hand, a 30-minute hand, and a center hand.
In the GPS-based wristwatch described in JP-A-2010-96523, for example, there is a case where the satellite signal reception function and the chronograph function are simultaneously performed, such as a case where the chronograph function is performed in response to manual operation performed during automatically initiated satellite signal reception. Since performing the satellite signal reception function and the chronograph function is a large-load process in a battery-driven timepiece, simultaneously performing the two functions may temporarily lower the battery voltage in the timepiece and processing ability thereof or otherwise degrade the performance thereof, possibly resulting in improper operation of the functions, which means poor operability in some cases.